Oak Park Temple B’nai Abraham Zion, one of the oldest Reform Jewish Congregations in the Chicago area, will celebrate its 150th Anniversary this year with a series of major events including concerts, speakers, parties and family programs starting this upcoming Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, on September 25, 2014, and running throughout the Hebrew Year 5775.

A visit by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), on November 21, 2014

Scholar-in-Residence Weekend with Rabbi Gary Zola, Executive Director of The Jacob Rader Marcus
Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA) and Professor of the American
Jewish Experience at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
(HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati, December 5-7, 2014

A “Pajama Havdalah” for kids, followed by a morning meditation for adults, by “Jewish Kiddie Rocker” ShirLaLa on January 10-11, 2015

Oak Park Temple B’nai Abraham Zion was formed by the 1918 merger of Zion Congregation—Chicago’s 4th synagogue, which held its first service in 1864—and B’nai Abraham Congregation at Washington and Karlov on Chicago’s west side. The congregation moved to its present location at 1235 N. Harlem Avenue in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1957.

“There are precious few congregations, indeed precious few Jewish communities, that are not only existing after 150 years, but thriving,” says Oak Park Temple Rabbi Max Weiss. “We have been blessed to serve Oak Park and its surrounding community for so long, and we look forward to an exciting year of celebrations for our community and everyone who wishes to join us.”